Suspension Packaging System

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to a collapsible shipping container utilizing standard box making equipment manufactured from material such as paper, corrugated board, and corrugated plastic, and in particular, to a package that employs a tensioned film system, that holds a product hammock style, between two layers of film and/or between a film and a wall of the package. To use the box, the formed box which has been stored in a flat configuration, is unfolded to a substantially rectangular or square configuration by folding at least one flap panel about its fold line to a position superadjacent a central panel and conforming the container to a hexagonal cross-section. In this configuration the box retains its hexagonal cross-section and can be self-supporting in a vertical position, in order to facilitate the filing operation. The container has retaining means for securing a pair of plastic films at their ends to opposing sides of the container.

1 - A pair of blanks for forming a box, comprising,
 a first blank, said first blank having a first center panel having four edges and four flap panels, each of said four flap panels being contiguous with one of said four edges of said first center panel, and separated therefrom by a flap panel fold line,
 a first and a third of said four flap panels being on opposing edges of said first center panel and a second and a fourth of said four flap panels being on opposing edges of said first center panel, 
 said center panel of said first blank having a first central fold line extending parallel to said flap panel fold line separating two of said opposing flap panels, and extending from a first of said four edges to an outer edge of at least one of its contiguous opposing flap panel, 
   a second blank, said second blank being dimensioned to coordinate with said first blank when said first blank and said second blank are in their folded configuration and said second blank overlies said first blank,
 said second blank having a second center panel having four edges and four flap panels, each of said four flap panels being contiguous with one of said four edges of said second center panel, and separated therefrom by an edge fold line, a first and a third of said flap panels having a pair of opposing end flaps contiguous therewith, said pair of opposing end flaps being separated from a neighboring flap panel by a slot, 
 said second blank having a second central fold line extending parallel to said first blank central fold line when said first blank and said second blank are in their assembled configuration and said second blank overlies said first blank, said central fold line extending from one of said four edges of said center panel to an outer edge of at least one of its contiguous opposing flap panel, 
 each of said contiguous end flap and flap panel being separated by a fold line, and each flap panel being separated from said second center panel by a fold line, 
 a first and a third of said four flap panels having an elongated slot, said first and said third flap panels being on opposite side of said first center panel, and wherein each elongated slots is parallel to the other elongated slot, 
 said first blank center panel central fold line being parallel to said elongated slots, 
   a first retainer member adjacent to said first slotted flap panel and a second retainer member adjacent to said third slotted flap panel,   a first and a second support film means, each said first and second support film means having two opposing end sections, each end section passing through a slotted flap panel, a first of said two opposing end sections of said first support film means lying in a “U” configuration around a first peripheral edge of said first retainer member,   a first of said two opposing end sections of said second support film means lying in a “U” configuration around a second peripheral edge of said first retainer member,   said first peripheral edge of said first retainer member being opposite said second peripheral edge of said first retainer member,   a second of said two opposing end sections of said first support film means lying in a “U” configuration around a first peripheral edge of said second retainer member,   a second of said two opposing end sections of said second support film means lying in a “U” configuration around a second peripheral edge of said second retainer member,   said first peripheral edge of said second retainer member being opposite said second peripheral edge of said second retainer member.   
     
     
         2 . The method of forming and filing a package, said package comprising the pair of blanks of  claim 1 , further comprising said first blank first flap panel having a peripheral edge and said second flap panel having a peripheral edge and comprising the steps of:
 a—rotating said first blank first and second flap panels about their fold lines, from the plane of said first blank toward a position in which said first blank first flap panel peripheral edge and said second flap panel peripheral edge are separated by a distance equal to or less that the distance between the first flap panel fold line and the second flap fold line,   b—securing a support film member to said first blank first and second flap panels, said support film member being positioned and dimensioned to be taut when said box is in a rectangular or square cross-sectional configuration and flaccid when said box is in a hexagonal configuration, said support film member being secured by passing each of two ends of said support film member through one of said elongated slots and wrapping each of two ends of said support film around a retainer member,   c—fixing said second blank first flap panel to said first blank first flap panel,   d—fixing a second blank second flap panel to a first blank second flap panel, said second blank second flap panel having its fold line parallel to said first blank first central fold line,   said second blank having a central fold line extending parallel to said first blank central fold line when said first blank and said second blank are in their assembled configuration and thereby forming a box,   e—folding said box to a substantially flat configuration, for transportation to a user,   f—unfolding said box to a substantially rectangular or square configuration,   g—folding at least one flap panel about its fold line to a position superadjacent a central panel,   h—conforming said box to a hexagonal cross-section.   
     
     
         3 - A box for retaining fragile products for shipping, comprising,
 a first center panel and four flap panels, each of said four flap panels being contiguous with an edge of said first center panel, and separated therefrom by a flap panel fold line,   a first and a second of said four flap panels being on opposing sides of said first center panel,   said first center panel having a central fold line extending parallel to two of said flap panel fold lines, and extending from a center panel edge to an outer edge of at least one of its contiguous flap panels,   a second center panel, said second center panel being contiguous with, and separated by a fold line from four flap panels,   said second blank having a second central fold line extending parallel to said first central fold line, said second central fold line extending from an edge of said center panel to an outer edge of at least one of its contiguous flap panels,   said box having a hexagonal configuration, at least one contiguous flap panel having one of said first and said second central fold line extending from an edge of said center panel to its outer edge of and extending from a center panel edge being folded about its fold line to a position superadjacent, its contiguous central panel, and causing said box to conforming to a hexagonal cross-section,   support film means having two ends secured to panels contiguous with said first center panel along a line that is parallel to said center panel central fold line, and being positioned and dimensioned to be taut when said box is in a rectangular or square cross-sectional configuration and flaccid when said box is in a hexagonal configuration,   further comprising,   a first and a second inner slotted panel with an elongated slot wherein said ends of said support film passes through said elongated slots, with said support film having ends wrapped around a retainer member, and said first and said second inner slotted panel being fastened to said first and said fourth flap panels.